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Table 1.1 Mallee species used for plantings in WA (source Oil Mallee Association)<br />

Sugar system<br />

The world's commercial crops <strong>of</strong> sugar cane originated with the so-called noble canes (S.<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficinarum) found in the New Guinea region. These were s<strong>of</strong>t, sweet, and suited to commercial<br />

culture in tropical environments. In 1888 it was discovered that sugar cane could produce fertile seed;<br />

this began a new era in the production <strong>of</strong> hybrids. S. spontaneum and later S. sinense (both <strong>of</strong> which<br />

probably originated in the South-East Asia region) and also S. robustum (believed indigenous to New<br />

Guinea) were used in inter-specific crosses with S. <strong>of</strong>ficinarum to increase the vigour and disease<br />

resistance <strong>of</strong> the last mentioned. Today the world's sugar industries are dependent mainly on hybrid<br />

canes; many <strong>of</strong> them are made up <strong>of</strong> three species <strong>of</strong> Saccharum.<br />

1.1.3 Locality<br />

Mallee System<br />

Mallees can be successfully cultivated on only a small proportion <strong>of</strong> the land in order to provide the<br />

benefit <strong>of</strong> being a sink for the water table. In the wheat belt this will usually be

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